Vehicle electronic control system, distribution package download determination method and computer program product

Abstract

A center device is configured to acquire software information of an ECU from a vehicle side, determine whether availability of update data for a vehicle based on the acquired software information, and transmit the campaign information to a master device when a vehicle condition is determined to be a contion suitable for an update. The master device is configured to download a distribution package from the center device when the vehicle condition is determined to be a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle electronic control system, comprising:
 a center device that is configured to distribute a distribution package including update data to a vehicle master device; and 
 the vehicle master device that is configured to download the distribution package from the center device, wherein 
 the center device includes:
 a software information acquisition unit that is configured to acquire software information of an electronic control unit (ECU) from a vehicle; 
 an update availability determination unit that is configured to determine availability of update data for the vehicle based on the software information acquired by the software information acquisition unit; 
 an update propriety determination unit that is configured to determine whether a vehicle condition is a condition suitable for update; and 
 a campaign information transmission unit that is configured to transmit campaign information related to the update to the vehicle master device when the update availability determination unit determines that the update data for the vehicle is available and when the update propriety determination unit determines that the vehicle condition is a condition suitable for the update, and 
 
 the vehicle master device includes:
 a campaign information receiving unit that is configured to receive the campaign information from the center device; 
 a downloadability determination unit that is configured to determine whether a vehicle condition is a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable when the campaign information is received by the campaign information receiving unit; and 
 a download execution unit that is configured to download the distribution package from the center device when the downloadability determination unit determines that the vehicle condition is a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable; 
 
 wherein the update propriety determination unit is further configured to determine whether the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for the update based on at least one of license contract and trouble information of the ECU, and to determine that the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for update when the license contract related to the update has been formed or when the trouble information of the ECU is not issued. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle electronic control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the update propriety determination unit is further configured to determine that the vehicle condition is not the condition suitable for the update when the vehicle condition is a condition in which such an update would be unintended for a user or when the vehicle condition is a condition in which writing of the update data is likely to fail. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle electronic control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the center device is further configured to transmit information indicating that the vehicle condition is not suitable for the update and a reason therefor to the master device when the update propriety determination unit determines that the vehicle condition is not the condition suitable for the update. 
 
     
     
       4. The vehicle electronic control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the downloadability determination unit is further configured to determine whether the vehicle condition is the condition in which the distribution package is downloadable based on at least one of a radio wave environment, a remaining battery charge of a vehicle battery, and a free capacity of a memory of the vehicle master device. 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicle electronic control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the downloadability determination unit is further configured to determine that the vehicle condition is not the condition in which the distribution package is downloadable when the vehicle condition is a condition in which download would not to be completed normally. 
 
     
     
       6. The vehicle electronic control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the update propriety determination unit is further configured to determine that the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for update when a vehicle position is within a predetermined area that was registered in advance by a user. 
 
     
     
       7. The vehicle electronic control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the update propriety determination unit is further configured to determine that the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for update when a vehicle alarm function is enabled. 
 
     
     
       8. A distribution package download determination method executed in a vehicle electronic control system including:
 a center device that is configured to distribute a distribution package including update data to a vehicle master device; and 
 the vehicle master device that is configured to download the distribution package including the update data from the center device, the method comprising the steps of: 
 acquiring software information of an electronic control unit (ECU) from a vehicle; 
 determining availability of update data for the vehicle based on the acquired software information; 
 determining whether a vehicle condition is a condition suitable for update based on at least one of license contract and trouble information of the ECU; 
 transmitting campaign information related to the update to the vehicle master device when the updated data for the vehicle is determined to be available and when the vehicle condition is determined to be a condition suitable for the update; 
 receiving the campaign information from the center device; 
 determining whether a vehicle condition is a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable when the campaign information is received; 
 downloading the distribution package from the center device when the vehicle condition is determined to be a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable; and 
 determining that the vehicle condition is the condition in which the distribution package is downloadable when the license contract related to the update has been formed or when the trouble information of the ECU is not issued. 
 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory, computer readable, tangible storage medium storing a computer program for a vehicle electronic control system including:
 a processor; 
 a center device that is configured to distribute a distribution package including update data to a vehicle master device; and 
 the vehicle master device that is configured to download the distribution package including the update data from the center device, the computer program comprising instructions configured to, when executed, cause the processor to: 
 acquire software information of an electronic control unit (ECU) from a vehicle; 
 determine availability of update data for the vehicle based on the acquired software information; 
 determine whether a vehicle condition is a condition suitable for update; 
 transmit campaign information related to the update to the vehicle master device when the update data for the vehicle is determined to be available and when the vehicle condition is determined to be a condition suitable for the update; 
 receive the campaign information from the center device; 
 determine whether a vehicle condition is a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable when the campaign information is received; and 
 download the distribution package from the center device when the vehicle condition is determined to be a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable; 
 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine whether the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for the update based on at least one of license contract and trouble information of the ECU, and to determine that the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for update when the license contract related to the update has been formed or when the trouble information of the ECU is not issued. 
 
     
     
       10. A vehicle electronic control system, comprising:
 a center device that is configured to distribute a distribution package including update data to a vehicle master device; and 
 the vehicle master device that is configured to download the distribution package from the center device, wherein 
 the center device includes a first processor programmed to:
 acquire software information of an electronic control unit (ECU) from a vehicle; 
 determine availability of update data for the vehicle based on the acquired software information; 
 determine whether a vehicle condition is a condition suitable for update; and 
 transmit campaign information related to the update to the vehicle master device upon determining that the update data for the vehicle is available and that the vehicle condition is a condition suitable for the update, and 
 
 the vehicle master device includes a second processor programmed to:
 receive the campaign information from the center device; 
 determine whether a vehicle condition is a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable upon receiving the campaign information; and 
 download the distribution package from the center device upon determining that the vehicle condition is a condition in which the distribution package is downloadable, wherein 
 
 the first processor is further programmed to determine whether the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for the update based on at least one of license contract and trouble information of the ECU, and to determine that the vehicle condition is the condition suitable for update when the license contract related to the update has been formed or when the trouble information of the ECU is not issued.